10 Steps Before You Go to Thailand. Step Two - Finances

2.  Budgeting The Trip

DISCLAIMER.  The following is general travel advice and in no way represents legal advice, does not solicit legal advice, and does not form any attorney-client relationship with any reader whatsoever.  Reminder:  I am NOT YET A LICENSED ATTORNEY and am NOT giving legal advice in this post or on this website.

Personally, I saved the money in advance and will live off of a savings account while in Thailand.  When saving money for the trip, keep in mind how much you should actually be saving by creating a realistic budget plan.

Here is a basic overview of the categories you can use to plan your budget:

Sample Budget Sheet

Item	Cost	Total
	Travel/One-Time Expenses
Plane Tickets1	____
Visa Fees2	____
Travel Insurance3	____
Immunizations4	____	____
	Bills/Monthly Expenses
Credit Cards5	____
Phone/Data Usage6	____
Transportation 7	____
Food8 Entertainment9	____ ____
Training Camp10	____	____
Totals

1.  Plane Tickets.  The standard low-end rate for a round trip ticket runs about $1200 from California.  The cheapest way to plan it?  Make all of your arrival/departure dates on Tuesdays.  Check out Kayak for cheap airfare.

2.  Visa Fees.    Visa Fees may or may not apply.  Staying less than 30 days + have a current U.S. passport + have a return plane ticket?  U.S. citizens carrying a tourist passport and in possession of an onward or return airline ticket do not require a visa to enter Thailand. The passport must have at least six months validity remaining to be allowed entry.  Upon entry, Thai immigration officials will place an immigration stamp in the passport permitting a 30-day stay in Thailand if arriving by air or a 15-day stay if arriving by land.  Planning on staying longer than 30 days?  You'll need to pick from among various Visa options.  For more information on Thai Visas, visit the U.S. Embassy site.  Visa processing fees generally range from about $30-80 but are subject to change, so stay up to date with the Royal Thai Consulate office that will be processing your Visa application.  The Consulate has offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Honolulu, among others.  The website does not offer a comprehensive list of Consulate locations, but it's a good place to start.

3.  Travel Insurance.  You typically have an option to purchase travel insurance along with your plane ticket for an additional $100 or so.  You can, of course, always shop around for different travel insurance.

4.  Immunizations.  Depending on your immunization history and whether your health insurance will cover the cost of "non-routine" shots for travel, the immunizations for Thailand can run from $150 to $900 or more (the cost of Rabies or Japanese Encephalitis shots are OBSCENELY EXPENSIVE no matter where you go).  If you are insured, start by talking to your primary physician.  If you are not insured, start by Googling local travel immunization services in your area and shop around for a competitive price.

5.  Credit Cards.  Unfortunately, credit card companies won't stop billing your debt just because you're going abroad.  You can suspend a lot of bills while you're gone, but keep in mind that credit cards will still need to be paid.

6.  Phone/Data Plans.  Most plans don't offer good international rates in my experience.  The cheapest option is to suspend your service while abroad and use the abundant free wifi of Bangkok to communicate or just buy calling cards/prepaid plans from a provider in Thailand.

7.  Transportation.  Good news.  Between buses, tuk-tuks, and taxis, public transportation in Thailand is both abundant and cheap.  The low end of getting around Bangkok should run about $5-10 per day, but plan on paying more if you're going long distances in taxis or making a lot of trips to different parts of town.  See more about the Bangkok transportation system here.

8.  Food.  Also good news.  Food ranges from the super cheap street food to five star dining.  The low end is probably $5-15 per day.  For more on this topic, see Migrationology's website.

9.  Entertainment.  This really depends on how much you plan to screw around when not training.  Plan which activities you know you can't live without (example: $250 visit to the Tiger Temple Tour outside of Bangkok) into the budget.  Between all of the free sightseeing (temples, markets, etc.) and the cheap nightlife, staying entertained on a budget really isn't much of an issue.

10.  Training Camp.  This one depends entirely on the factors discussed in step one.  Reminders: check out the camp websites, shop around, try to negotiate with the camp/gym owner for a better rate.

10 Steps Before You Go to Thailand. Step One - Researching Camps and Prices

Fights at the Thammasat University Convention Center in Bangkok, Thailand 

So you want to go to Thailand to train Muay Thai?  These ten steps address the question, "HOW do I make that happen?"  Before you get to how, you need to ask yourself a few questions:

Why do you want to do this?  What's the purpose for you?  If you're looking to just spend a week or two at a camp and come home, your goals are probably significantly different than someone looking to spend a more substantial amount of time at a camp.  Whether you are a casual observer of the sport or a seasoned fighter, your goals will shape how you should plan your trip.  Whether your goals be improved fitness, adventure, or getting a title shot, make a list of all of the reasons you want to go.  After you've made your list, think about how much time and dedication to training it will actually take to reach those goals; despite popular belief inspired by many a montage, you won't go from beginner to pro in two weeks.

When can you go?  How much time away from your other commitments can you take?  When will you have money to invest in this endeavor?  Is this a bucket-list plan that will happen a few years from now, or next month?  Timing your trip around other things in your life can become the biggest challenge to taking the trip (aside from financing such an adventure).

Once you have that basic mental picture painted, it's time to consider more specific steps.

1.       Research the Camps and Locations.

I began by looking up the gym that my Kru trained at, and that connection largely influenced my decision to train there.  However, there are many, many, MANY (did I say many?) gyms to choose from.  It's a veritable buffet of camps to look at; it is, after all, the birthplace and country of the sport.  Many locals now capitalize on that fact and, to the delight of many a farang, camps seem to be everywhere, and with the competitive market comes competitive pricing for the experience.  The overall message here?  Shop.Around.For.The.Right.Camp.

Fairtex Camps - highly overpriced at nearly SIX TIMES the rate of any other camp

Factors to Consider.  Where in Thailand do you want to stay for the duration of your training?  Do you want a pristine beach scene like Phuket or the humming big city life of Bangkok?  There are camps all over Thailand to choose from, and many of them have websites with pricing and contact information.  Many MMA/Muay Thai forums are teeming with reviews of the camps and tidbits of advice about each.  Some gyms get a reputation for catering to tourists while some are known as less friendly.  This part of the research is really up to you; comb through the information and decide what looks good according to your goals.  Seek out people who have similar training goals as yourself who have trained in Thailand, and pick their brain.  Here are some factors to consider in picking your camp and gym:

Price.  Prices range from a few hundred dollars a month to the obscene rates at Fairtex.  How much can you afford?  Most gyms are very upfront with pricing and have it posted on their websites.  As with anything in Thailand, keep in mind that if you haggle with them, you may get a sweeter deal than what's posted as the price.  

Location.  What kind of locale do you want to train in?  Big city Bangkok?  Near the beach?  Do you want to stay in one camp the whole time, or hop around to a few different locations during your trip? Research what each city has to offer and decide which city/cities will fit your needs best, and that's one way to narrow down the list of which camp(s) you want to train at.

Reputation.  Each gym has its own roster of champions and fighters, and each gym is usually known for something - be it a specific style of fighting, a certain regimen of training, catering to tourists, catering to locals, etc etc.  This kind of information is hard to find without talking to people; talk to people who have trained at the gym(s) you're interested in.  No one around who's been there?  Check out the forums and blogs - there's plenty of information there.  Try Sherdog forums or Muay Thai Focus to start.  Also, many of the links at the end of this page have forums / discussion boards about the pros and cons of training in specific locations.

Cheaper Apartment Option at Eminent Air Gym, Bangkok

Bungalow Room Option at Eminent Air Gym, Bangkok

Accommodations.  How comfortable (or uncomfortable) are you willing to be on this trip?  Most gyms offer two options: AirCon or Fan Rooms.  AirCon are air conditioned, and always cost a bit more.  Fan rooms force you to deal with the incredible heat sans air conditioning.  If you haven't trained in hot, humid conditions before, the AirCon is probably worth the extra money you'll spend.  

Personal connections to the gym.  Do you already know people training at other camps?  Consider the benefits of being around familiar faces when you're busting your ass and showing up on day one with at least someone you know will have your back.  If you have such connections, use them.  This is, of course, your journey - who you know should only be one factor in the decision of where to go.  Perhaps striking out into the unknown is more your scene.  

However you weigh these various factors in your decision, make sure you've thought it through before you move on to the next step of charting your journey: financing.

Here are some links to sites that have thoroughly categorized and reviewed many of the gyms in Thailand:

Muay Thai Camps Thailand

MuayThailand

Martial Adventures

Art of Manliness: Training Muay Thai in Thailand

Muay Thai Training Camps

Muay Thai Guy's Training in Thailand Tips

Stay tuned for Step Two - Financing Your Trip